


A Touch Of Evil

by Someones Disaffected Niece (My_LittleCorner)



Series: The Space Lady and the Bug-boy [4]
Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A cameo by Goose, A cameo by Happy, A cameo by May, A cameo by Morgan Stark, AU, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cameos by some avengers, Epilogue added at request of some readers, F/M, Hashtag Spider-Man in space so it must be fake, Hints to sexual activities, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, No Eddie Brock, No Smut, No Underage business, Not Beta Read, Sexual language is used, Spider-man symbiote, Spidervel, mention of other characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:46:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28019475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_LittleCorner/pseuds/Someones%20Disaffected%20Niece
Summary: Spider-Man and Captain Marvel team-up for a mission off-world. They come across the infamous symbiote, Carol warns him about it but curiosity gets the best of Peter.The downfall of their relationship told in a handful of chapters as Peter starts to lose himself under the influence of the symbiote.A/N: Epilogue with happy ending added at the request of some readers
Relationships: Carol Danvers & Peter Parker, Carol Danvers/Peter Parker
Series: The Space Lady and the Bug-boy [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2054511
Comments: 26
Kudos: 15





	1. Prologue

After dating for over six months, Carol and Peter had grown inseparable. The hardest thing for them came every time Captain Marvel had to fly into outer space for a mission and Peter had to stay behind. She would sometimes be gone for a couple of days, sometimes it would take longer and they couldn’t see each other for weeks.

The couple always found ways to stay in touch even if only by sending each other voice notes. The Kree-hybrid hated to give him the ‘news’ that she once again had to take off as much as Peter dreaded to hear he wouldn’t be able to see his girlfriend because some asshole in another galaxy decided to fuck shit up.

This last time, Carol leaving had sprout a smile in Peter’s face. She had invited him to join her in her latest mission which he thought was cool as fuck since he got to go to space and it also meant he wouldn’t be away from her.

Captain Marvel needed to team up with someone for her new mission and now that Spider-man had shown a lot of growth, progress, and confidence in his skills, she figured he could be of help. Of course, Fury had called her out on her bullshit when she promised that she wasn’t taking the wall crawler to space because she was dating him but because he had earned it. Fury, however, had to admit the vigilante had worked hard enough to earn his participation in their mission.

It seemed Peter had finished working on a new and improved iron spider suit just in time for Alpha Flight’s out-of-world mission.

“This is so sick!” Parker kept insisting as he walked through a thick jungle-like place. “I have only been to space once and I ended up dusted, but it was cool.” He had a video recorder in his hands while he filmed everything surrounding him.

He was recording some footage for his v-log. Those videos were his journal; almost every day he reordered something for it and then uploaded it to his private cloud.

“I deadass thought Mantis was gonna impregnate me.” He laughed at that memory. Back then, he was confused and secretly terrified without knowing what to expect.

Carol laughed. She had been walking just two steps behind him. The blonde was amused hearing him narrate his experience in Titan. She was probably the only person to find those v-logs adorable and not annoying. She had even grown warm to the idea that Peter liked featuring her in them once in a while.

“She’s the sweetest.” Captain Marvel shook her head.

“All I saw was some weird-looking snail lady.”

Carol laughed.

Peter went back to his video and kept babbling about their fight against the Black Order and Thanos.

Carol smiled to herself as she heard him do different voices and mannerism when mimicking Strange, Tony, and the Guardians in his little reenactment.

“Wow...” Spider-man got distracted for a second, fascinated with the botanical creatures in that planet. He was recording something that resembled a Venus flytrap. The plant cautiously followed the movement of Peter’s fingers which captivated him.

“Babe, you wanna stay away from that.” Carol suggested.

“It’s so pretty...” Peter contemplated, unable to keep himself from playing with it and see for how long it would follow the movement of his hand.

“And deceptive.” She warned.

Peter sighed but listened to her and stepped away. Carol had been constantly telling him not to touch almost everything which was a little aggravating but he figured she was doing it for his own good.

He somehow was glad he was in full costume and his mask hid the disappointment in his face. The young adult felt like the blonde was being too close-minded about what he could do and couldn’t do: it had been a while since he had last felt like that...it was his first time feeling limitations with her, though.

It was an abrupt pull from his back what broke his train of thought.  _ Whoa _

Carol had managed to grab him from his suit and avoid for him to step onto a small puddle-like in front of him.

“You definitely don’t want to get in contact with that!” Captain Marvel let go and turned around, “c’mon lets find another way.”

“What’s that?” Peter’s eyes grew big behind his mask. “It looks like fuel oil... you know that stuff ships leave in the ocean.” He scratched his head.

“Not even close.” She turned back around and crossed her arms across her chest. “No matter what... don’t you ever go near it.” She sounded more strict than ever. “Please.” She frowned.

Peter figured it was something dangerous, but he was still curious. “What is it?” He looked down, unable to take his eyes away from it.

Carol looked back and tangled her arm with his, “please, let’s just keep going?” She tilted her head.

“Fine, but I don’t think this is fair.” He mumbled.

Carol gave him that one look he didn’t get to see too often from her.

“It’s just that I thought you were different. All day it’s been ‘don’t touch this, don’t touch that’.” Peter vented a little. “You have never been like this with me. That’s how Tony was; treating me like a child.”

Carol really hated that he was wearing his mask and she couldn’t see him to the face. “Babe...” She shook her head, it wasn’t like that.

“It’s like...he had me on training wheels and you just pushed me out of my comfort zone knowing I could handle it. What changed?”

“Nothing.” She murmured. “I’m not trying to put you back on training wheels, it’s just that I don’t want you to get hurt.”

_ Same difference, really. _

“I’m not saying I want to get in trouble.” He promised. “I just want to understand what’s up. Like I don’t know any of this, I get it. But... it’s like when a kid is playing with fire and you don’t want them to get hurt!” He tried to use that as an example, “if you keep telling ‘em not to touch it they probably will... but if you explain that they will get burn and it will hurt, they will understand why they don’t need to play with fire.”

Carol curved an eyebrow, “so you are just a damn kid who isn’t mature enough to understand that no means no?” She was getting a little pissed. “I guess I’ll treat you like a kid, then.”

Spider-man pulled his mask off so he could finally have eye contact with her, “no...” he murmured. That’s not what he meant at all.

Hazel eyes fixed on his dark brown ones.

“I’m just saying I wish you’d involve me more into the dangers of an unknown world.” He took her hands. He hated fighting with her.

Carol sighed and shook her head, “that’s a Klyntar.” She explained. “You know the Kree?”

Peter nodded. He knew about how the Kree had kidnapped her, brainwashed her, and used her as a weapon in their war against the Skrulls.

“The Kree once captivated one. They figured they could use it to try replicate the Skrulls’ ability to shape-shift.”

Peter was listening.

“Of course it all backfired in very terrifying ways and they had to get rid of it.” She didn’t want to get into details. She knew Peter was very imaginative and could figure out the consequences.

He nodded.

Carol took a step closer and cupped his cheeks. He had never seen her give him a more serious stare than the one she was giving him right now; “that thing...that thing has the power to make you lose the most important thing in the world.”

Peter frowned. He definitely didn’t want that. “Let’s go.” He nodded.

Carol felt him take her hand and they turned around to look for another path to get to their destination.

* * *

  
Late that night, Peter slowly opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw that gorgeous blonde curled against him and peacefully asleep. He was wearing a pair of red Scooby Doo boxers that read ‘Don’t Make Me Beg’ that featured the dog with a red lipstick kiss on his cheek.

He gently let go of Carol’s embrace and crawled out of bed. He fetched for his video recorder and turned it on. Carol was on the frame sound asleep in the background while he recorder a snippet for his v-log.

“Isn’t she gorgeous?” He smiled at the camera before he looked over his shoulder. “God, I love having her in my arms and just hold her while she sleeps.” He thought out loud. “And you know I never ever leave the bed when she’s there, but we are done here and we are heading back tomorrow first time in the morning.” He frowned. 

They had been sharing a compact ship that was big enough to keep them comfortable during their stay and to travel back and forth to earth. Sure, Carol didn’t need it, but Peter did. 

“So imma head out real quick and explore a little bit.” He licked his lips and smiled. He was excited about that. He had found the place fascinating and wanted to record a little more of it without the pressure of their mission getting in the way. 

Peter quietly fetched for his suit and put it on. He then inched toward the bed and made sure she was asleep. On his way out of the ship, he grabbed his video recorder and left.

Once out in the dark jungle, he let loose and started to have the time of his life. He started jumping and running through it. He grabbed from a familiar vine he had seen earlier with Carol. He ignored her advise to not play with them and decided to hang from it and swing over a tall root on his path. 

_ Fuck... _ He felt it burning through his suit so let go of it, he shot some of his web fluid to balance his fall. “So that’s why she didn’t want me to touch it.” He scratched his palms. 

Peter checked on his gloves which had barely been damaged by the vine, it was interesting that the burning feeling penetrated the latex: he could only image how bad it would have been to his skin if he hadn’t been wearing them. 

He eventually found some of those amusing plants from earlier. He wasn’t sure if they were the same or different ones, but that didn’t stop him from playing a little with it. 

His girlfriend’s warnings making sense a second time around now that he almost lost a finger. If it hadn’t been for his reflexes, that thing would have ripped his finger off. 

Peter decided to keep going as he got lost in his narration of the planet that had him so captivated. He was loving the experience, space was so cool... no wonder Carol flew off every chance she got.

Spider-man panned his recorder on the Klyntar before him. He figured it was inevitable to bump into one of those things or maybe it was the same one they had seen earlier. He was careful while he try get the best shot of it he could. 

He made the best used of the zoom features on his camera as he admired the specimen through the lens. 

“Holy shit...!” He stumbled backwards onto his ass when he noticed the black puddle thing moving. 

Just like the plant he had been playing with earlier, this thing seemed to be attracted to him and slowly started to react to his movements.

Peter alarmed, started to back off from it, making sure it never got to touch him. Spider-man eventually jumped back up and started to run back to the ship. 

There was no fucking way he was gonna let a third thing prove Carol right. Peter found it a challenge to leave the specimen behind as it kept trying to latch onto him. 

The Klyntar eventually and successfully managed to latch onto the heel of his suit which made Peter believe he had lost it. 

Spider-man didn’t slow down until he was at the door of the ship. He looked back one last time to make sure that thing was nowhere near to be seen and quietly opened the door. 

He tossed his mask to the side and quickly stepped out of his suit. He set the video recorder on the table by the bed and quietly crawled back in bed.

Carol sleepily curled back against him and nuzzled into his neck. Peter’s arms gently welcomed her and he slowly closed his eyes to try go back to sleep.

The symbiote slowly moved on the floor from his suit into his backpack which was just a step away from it.


	2. Chapter 1

Their sexual life mainly relied on tenderness and devotion. Every time Carol and Peter engaged in spending a moment alone, just the two of them, in the most intimate of ways; it was a moment to bond and allow their bodies to let their partner know how much they meant to each other.

The blonde had grown to find those moments intoxicating, loving the way Peter let her know how much he adored her. However, there were times when she wished they could shift the pace and rhythm and give into their instincts.

Their fingers were intertwined while they gently played with each other. There was nothing Peter liked more than holding her blushed sweaty naked body against his and hug her tight in his embrace every time they had sex.

Carol sighed softly before she adjusted and shifted closer to him. She smiled happily upon feeling the kiss he had pressed against her forehead.

They were in his bedroom which was usually a mess. He was roommates with Ned, they shared a small two-bedroom apartment located at a walking distance from campus. Peter and his best buddy were no longer kids but Sophomore college students who were trying to figure out life as they stepped into adulthood.

“Have you thought about what we talked about the other day?” Carol wondered. She closed her eyes at the warmth of his lips on hers.

“What thing?” He teased.

Carol pushed his hair back as her cheeks turned pink, “baby, come on...” she sang. 

“We talk about a lot of stuff!” He smiled.

“Fine...” She rolled her eyes and hid her face against his naked shoulder in an attempt to try hide her own smile from him.

Peter chuckled and ran his arm around her shoulders. He kissed her temple and nodded.

“Again, I’m not saying I don’t like the way it is.” She reassured him. She knew Peter’s experience was a hundred percent what he experimented with her. After all, she had been his first and she had never wanted to push him do things he wasn’t ready to try.

“I know.” He nodded.

“I’m just saying...maybe...we could start spicing things up a bit.” She smiled at him. They had been sleeping together for roughly six months now “just a tiny bit.” She motioned with her fingers.

Peter smiled as she shifted and sat next to him in his bed. He groaned softly feeling how she brushed her nose gently against his cheek and her warm breath sent sparks down his body once she reached his ear.

“Maybe we can use some ice cubes... or feathers.” She suggested, her long fingers slowly ran up his ripped abdomen.

He gulped.

How was she able to turn him on so fast and so effortlessly? Peter would never know.

“Maybe I could blindfold you for a bit... and let me awake every inch of your flesh.” She purred against his ear.

Peter was loving the sound of all that.

“I love it when you make love to me, I really do.” She promised, “and I don’t want that to ever stop.” She insisted. “But maybe once in a while you could—“

“...Fuck you.” He finished for her, his cheeks immediately blushed.

“I would love that.” She nodded.

Peter shifted. He had no idea what was holding him back. Carol had been incredible since their first night together and with each passing time he grew more confident to try new things.

“I’ve been reading stuff, you know?” He shared. He had been educating himself.

“As in erotica?” Carol tried not to laugh.

“No!” He chuckled, “like real stuff about how to...you know...”

Carol tilted her head. “Saint Google to the rescue.” She teased him before kissing him soundly a couple of times.

“I guess... I was intimidated by the stuff showed on porn and shit but it’s nothing like that.” He confessed.

Carol shook her head. She wasn’t looking for him to go full kinky on her, just heat things up and let it simmer for a while.

“But I think I’ll just catch you by surprise.” He agreed to give it a try, “one day, you won’t even see me coming —“

Danvers laughed. The sound of sirens urgently announcing a few police cars were in a rush silencing her for a second.

It was NYC after all, it wouldn’t be a usual night in the city if sirens weren’t constantly heard.

“No pun intended.” He chuckled along, completely ignoring the loud noise.

She smiled now that he had agreed to try spice things up and kissed him before she adjusted back into his embrace so they could go to sleep.

“No...young lady, what do you think you are doing?” Peter jiggled and rolled her over. “You got me all worked up, so you gotta fixed it!”

She laughed playfully feeling how he slid over on top of her. Her strong arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him down into a passionate kiss.

* * *

  
The early noise of traffic and police sirens coming in from the window were what eventually woke Carol up. She slowly opened her eyes to a radiant sun shining through the window.

The other side of the bed empty but still warm which made her smile. It didn’t matter if it was at his apartment or at hers; Peter always greeted her good morning with breakfast and a hot cup of coffee. 

She took a second to stretch and find a pair of flannel plaid pajama shorts and an old blue shirt to wear before she met the young men at the common area. She always made sure to be decent in case Peter’s roommate was around.

“Hi Ned.” She greeted him with a friendly smile before she met her boyfriend in the kitchen.

“Hey Carol.” He smiled back. He was already used to occasionally see her around. She was no stranger either, they got along pretty well and sometimes the three of them hung out.

“Beautiful...” Peter offered upon kissing his girlfriend back and handed her the breakfast he had for her.

“Yum. Thanks.” She beamed. 

The couple settled on the couch so they could eat. Carol playfully started to feed Peter from her plate so he mirrored her gesture and fed her from his.

“It’s so sexy that you like to wear my old gym shirt.” Peter smiled. Carol had picked the blue shirt with the Midtown School of Science Technology logo as her sleep over clothes from the very beginning.

“And I find it sexy that you are such a nerd.” She teased him about graduating from a school for students gifted in science.

Peter grinned.

Carol brushed his hair to the side and played with his earlobe as they kept eating.

“As much as a turn on that it is that you wear my shorts and shirt, I much prefer what you wear when we are at your place.” He flirted.

“What’s that?” Ned burped in curiosity as he packed his books.

Carol looked over towards him and tilted her head.

“You don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry I asked.” He was embarrassed. 

The blonde laughed which eased him into dropping it.

“Her birthday suit” Parker shared.

“Peter!!!” Carol turned red as a tomato and playfully hit him on the shoulder. 

“Yeah... I have to go to class.” Ned couldn’t rush out of there fast enough. “See you around.” He smiled before he fixed his backpack over his shoulder and left.

Peter turned to look back at Carol just to find her with a serious stare in her eyes. He grinned guiltily as she shook her head.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for class too?” She narrowed her eyes.

“But—”

“Peter...you’ve missed so much already!” She knew he had missed a few days due to their mission and he was always absent at school for other Avengers-related matters. 

“But we only have ten minutes.” He pouted. “And then I won’t see you in a week!” 

Carol’s hazel eyes sadden. She hated this as much as he did. They had been back from their mission a few days ago and she had to leave again, and this time he couldn’t tag along.

“Can I come, please?” He pleaded. He missed her so much when she was gone.

She shook her head. 

“Why not? I can totally keep up with you!” He had proven that many times before.

“Because you‘ve got homework.” She tilted her head.

Peter faintly smiled and looked down.

“I don’t know if your suit will be able to take it.” Carol was to travel a few galaxies far, to a planet she had never been to before. 

“I’ll upgrade it and make it work!” He promised. 

“I’ll take notes on the pressure and oxygen levels, and all that.” She took his hand and kissed it gently. “One day, you’ll be able to travel through the universe with me, and it’s going to be great.” She smiled.

“It’s what I want.” He nodded. “To be with you no matter where.” He curved his lips into a shy smile.

Carol gently let her eyes get lost in his. Peter had this peculiar and romantic way to look at her. She could spend a life time looking into those dark brown orbs, contemplating how much they said without a word. 

“And for that you have to stay in school, graduate, etcetera...etcetera.” She toyed.

Peter couldn’t help laugh along. Without letting go of the other’s hand, they stood up and walked back to his room. Carol had to get going, and she always used his window to leave.

Captain Marvel was in her traditional red and blue suit in seconds which meant it was time for their goodbye.

Spider-man pulled her close to him and hugged her waist. The blonde leaned her body against his and gently caressed his arms. 

“Promise me you won’t miss a class while I’m gone.” Carol rested her forehead against his. It was very important for her that he gave his education the priority it deserved.

Peter sighed and barely nodded before their lips gently started to kiss. 

After a few seconds, Carol pulled back: she had to go. “I’ll stay in touch.” She promised. 

Peter watched her pull the window opened and after looking back one last time, Carol’s aura lit up and she flew up into the sky. 

Once she was gone, Peter fetched for his backpack and started to take out all the stuff he had brought with him from their last mission; he had to fix it for school. He pile all his books and notebooks on his desk and headed straight to the shower.

He was already too late for his first class, but could still make it to the second one if he hurried. 

The symbiote that had spent the weekend in Spider-man’s backpack slowly started to slide out of it and find its way through the desk in search of his inevitable new host.

It took Peter five minutes to take a quick hot shower before he walked back to his room, a towel wrapped around his waist while he used a second one to dry himself and his hair. 

_ Yuck... _ he curved an eyebrow the moment he felt his bare foot step into something slimy. 

This time around, he didn’t have time to react, the black specimen completely latched onto his frame within seconds. 

“Sick!!” Spider-man admired his arms and chest. That thing seemed to be some sort of Spidey suit. 

He quickly searched for his video recorder through all the crap he had on his desk so he could do a quick v-log and check how the suit looked on him. 

He knew the suit was technically that Klyntar thing Carol had warned him about, but maybe just like every living thing... there were good and bad ones and this one wasn’t as destructive as the one in her story. 

The sound of sirens coming from the streets called him like a whistle would a dog: something that had never been like that. He couldn’t wait to test run this new suit, he was already thinking on keeping it.

“Sorry babe,” he thought out loud, “but school will have to wait!” He crawled out of the window and started to swing his way through the traffic, following the police car on patrol. 

It didn’t take Spider-man long before he noticed the power-up that came with the black suit: he was twice as fast and strong. It was easy to get addicted to wearing it just by how he could feel the stamina it injected into his veins. 


	3. Chapter 2

As he suspected, Peter had grown addicted to his new suit. The past week, while Captain Marvel was off-world on her own mission, he had been following police patrols and run after every siren he heard.

The suit had not only powered-up his skills but it had also turned him violent toward the delinquents he chased through the neighborhood.

Now that Carol was back, he had hidden the symbiote in his cluttered closet. He knew she wouldn’t understand, so for now the new suit would have to remain out of her sight.

The two of them lied naked under the sheets in his bed. Carol’s fingers were gentle as they played with his messy hair, her eyes curious while they studied his dark ones.

There was something different in those brown orbs and Carol was trying to put her finger on it. She sighed softly before she leaned closer and tasted his lips. That wasn’t it; he still kissed her the same way.

“What’s on your mind?” Peter wondered. He could tell she was rather thoughtful.

“Did you catch up on school?” She smiled faintly. They hadn’t had time to talk since she had come back not even an hour ago.

The moment she had flown through his window, they had gone straight to making love.

Peter parted his lips ready to lie to her, but he failed at it.

“Babe...” Carol was disappointed.

“It’s just that I have this new suit!” He burped out.

Hazel eyes grew big, “oh! you got my notes?” She had sent him a couple of messages but oddly he had never contacted her back. Carol thought he had never gotten them, since that was so unlike him. As promised, she had sent him all the data he needed about the planet.

Peter had no idea she had tried to contact him. He needed his traditional suit to receive and send messages to her and he hadn’t touch it for the past week. Spider-man had completely forgotten about it, in all honesty.

“Can I see it?” Carol didn’t wait for an answer to her previous question. She was eager to see his new suit.

“Um...” Peter tried hard not to turn look over to his closet. “No.”

“Why?” Carol sat up in bed, rather puzzled. He was always excited to show her his gadgets and stuff he built.

“Because...because it is not finished yet...” He lied: this was the first time he ever lied to her and he was pretty surprised at how believable he had sounded.

Carol rolled her eyes; that had never stopped him before. The blonde shifted and kissed him slowly. She moaned into his lips and brushed them down his chin before she nibbled on it.

“I eventually will.” He mumbled as he closed his eyes and groaned. The way her lips felt behind his ear and the way they teased his earlobe had him purring like a kitten.

Not even the seductive warmth of her lips against his flesh kept Parker from abruptly pulling away from her.

The sound of sirens going wild outside his window had now more powerful hypnotizing effects on him that the naked goddess tangled under his sheets.

“What’s wrong?” A frown with heavy confusion wrinkled between Carol’s brows.

“I...I have to go...” He started to get out of bed. “I’ll be back soon.” He assured her.

“Go where?” She adjusted in bed and tilted her head.

“Check that out!” He motioned toward the window.

“You are not serious?” She chuckled in disbelief.

Peter had never, in the six months they had been dating, just abruptly left her in bed...specially when she was on her way to make every hormone in him explode.

He backed away and managed to have the symbiote latched onto him behind her blind spot.

“I’ll be back soon, I swear.” He jumped out of the window and didn’t look back.

Carol had only been able to have a glance of his new suit. It looked like his traditional one but in black. Her head was too confused trying to figure out what had just happened to pay closer attention to any other detail.

The guy who wouldn’t even get up to pee because he couldn’t stay away from her, had just jumped out of the window to chase some baddy.

She checked the time on the clock over his desk, it was 10:20PM.

Carol blank-stared at the window while she tried figure out what had just happened. It felt like just a second had gone by but the clock was reading eleven o’clock at night.

The blonde found the pair of shorts and shirt she used to wear and got dressed.

She quietly walked out of Peter’s room and into the common area. It was dark and it seemed Ned had already gone to bed. Her eyes fell on the Play Station 4 console by the television and figured she could kill some time playing a little.

She turned the tv and console on and loaded Fortnite. That was one of her guilty pleasures, only Peter and Ned knew Captain Marvel liked to play freaking Fortnite. The three of them played it all the time so she was pretty damn good at it.

She managed to distract her spinning head with the game as she killed the living crap out of the dozen online gamers she encountered on the island she had landed on.

The blonde was so invested in her game that she had yet to notice that Ned was standing under the door frame of his room watching her play.

The young man immediately felt bad for her since he was already starting to notice Peter’s mood swings. He had been dealing with him for a week, while Carol was justnow trying to figure out why a guy that was head over heels for her would rather go chase some random robber instead of staying in bed with her. 

Carol smiled over once Ned joined her. He grabbed the second controller and sat next to her on the couch. She immediately split the screen so he could join her in the action.

This wasn’t their first time teaming-up and so it only took a second for Ned and Carol to start beating the crap out of the other players without mercy. They had their own strategies already mastered to perfection which only made the game even more fun.

It was already midnight when Peter crawled back through the window of his bedroom.

He looked around once he found it empty, Carol was no longer in there. He took this opportunity to change into his pajama pants and let the symbiote go back to his closet.

He found Carol and Ned laughing in the dark while playing Fortnite. He watched them from his room for a minute before he quietly joined them.

It was until Peter stood up in front of the tv and blocked their view when his girlfriend and best friend finally took notice of his presence.

Hazel eyes looked up and locked with his dark emotionless ones. He stepped closer and kissed her deeply.

Peter dragged the kiss for a few seconds not caring that Ned was sitting there next to her.

Carol mumbled something under her breath once Peter broke the kiss off.

“If you don’t mind, I’m taking my girlfriend back.” Peter didn’t make eye contact with Ned as he addressed him.

“Goodnight.” Ned sighed and saved their progress on their game before turning everything off.

Peter slammed the door of his bedroom closed once he and Carol stepped in. He didn’t lose time before he pulled the old gym shirt off her over her head and tossed it to the side.

In seconds, the blonde was on her back on his bed. Peter trapped her under his frame and peppered her neck with hungry kisses.

“What are you doing?” Carol mumbled between moans. Peter had been paying attention to one specific spot in her neck for a few seconds now.

“I’m marking my territory...” He groaned while his lips sucked her skin, aiming to turn it purple and erupt a hickey on it.

“Get off me, you ass.” She pushed him to the side and sat on the bed.

“I thought you liked it like this...” He hissed while he leaned back to kiss her.

Carol was not having it. She was officially not in the mood, either. She was not his territory, the fuck was that?

“Not like this!” She pulled away.

“Women are so complicated.” Peter mumbled under his breath.

“You leave and then come back an hour later...and call me your territory!?” She scoffed.

Peter shrugged.

“I don’t know what’s got into you tonight, but I think I should just go.” She frowned.

Peter seemed indifferent to that which just puzzled Carol even more. In other circumstances, she would have Peter kneeled, begging her not to leave while mad.

“I hope tomorrow is a better day.” Her hazel eyes were sad as she felt like she was talking to an empty stare.

Peter twitched lightly and looked down at his hands.

Carol licked her lips and once in full costume, she flew out of the window. 

* * *

  
Carol was half naked under Peter’s sheets as she rolled her eyes. Just like last time, Spider-man had gotten a bigger boner out of the noise coming from police car sirens than Captain Marvel in her underwear.

This time around, she didn’t have time to say a word before he jumped out of the window. It was upsetting that Peter had seemed to completely lost touch with her. The only reason she was there that night was because she thought she could get to him through his hormones but apparently he would rather hump a patrol car than have sex with her.

Once fully dressed, she stepped into the common area and sat down on the couch. This time her mind was too distracted to make her realize that she never reached out for the controller just a few inches away from her. 

She sat in the dark for a couple of hours, lost in her confusion. She had her hands over her face as she tried to keep it together. 

“He’s been acting all weird with me too.” Ned had come out of his room to make sure Carol was okay. 

Peter had picked on the routine to run off after any sign of distress just so he could wear that black suit. Ned figured that night wouldn’t be any different, he had done it to Carol before...what would stop him from doing it again?

“He is missing school and he’s being kind of an ass to everyone we know.” Ned thought maybe if Carol knew this was something general in his behavior, she would stop taking it personal — not that he knew if she was blaming herself for his asshole ways. 

Carol was quiet. Ned walked over and sat next to her on the couch. 

“We don’t hang out anymore, you know.” He frowned. “I miss him.” 

“I miss him too.” Carol pouted in the dark. 

Ned always felt uncomfortable when women cried around him and he knew that was going to be a million times worse if Earth’s Mightiest Hero ended up bawling in front of him. 

“It’s after midnight, do you want to watch the new Mandalorian?” Ned suggested in an attempt to change the subject.

Carol smiled and shook her head. “If we watch the new episode without Peter, he will never forgive us.” 

The trio had been watching the new season of the Star Wars show. They loved it and had made it their little thing to watch it together. 

“Or we could totally create a new profile on the account, watch the episode, and then delete the profile.” Ned figured that way Peter would never be able to tell. 

Carol chuckled at his wittiness and tilted her head. She was really contemplating it. 

Spider-man took longer than usual that night. He was usually back by midnight but tonight, it was already 2AM and there were no signs of him. 

The next hour went slow for Carol who was starting to get a little worried. The fact that she was distracted was evident in the way she was playing now that she and Ned had resumed their Fortnite game from the other night.

The noise of Peter crawling in from the window was something that Carol didn’t miss this time around. She turned to look over her shoulder to find her boyfriend standing behind them with a blank stare. 

He had already changed back into his pajama pants.

“Hey...” She greeted him lightly. “It’s 3AM, are you okay?” She sounded concern.

Peter had his naked chest puffed out and was breathing heavily through his nose. He was not a fan of his <air quotes> best bud </air quotes> hanging out with his girlfriend at three in the morning. 

Carol set the controller down and smiled lightly at Ned. She stood up and took Peter’s hand so they could head to his room. 

* * *

The next morning, Carol woke up to find the other side of the bed empty. Her brain for a moment tricked her to believe things were starting to go back to normal and as always her boyfriend had gotten up to make breakfast...until she felt the space next to her was already cold: Peter had been up for a while now.

She walked barefooted into the living room where she found him eating a bowl of cereal and watching cartoons. 

She found Ned in the kitchen and sighed lightly once he shrugged at her. 

Carol reached out for the milk in the fridge but Ned stopped her, “allow me.” He offered.

She stepped back and smiled at the young man. Now that Peter hadn’t care for fixing his own girlfriend breakfast like he used to, Ned offered to serve her a bowl of cereal.

“What the hell do you think you are doing!?” Peter jumped over the couch and joined them in the kitchen. 

“Making sure YOUR visit is comfortable and taken care of seeing how you neglected to.” Ned had had enough of his behavior by now.

“She’s MY girl... Ned... Back the fuck off.” Parker pushed him back from his shoulders. 

“PETER!” Carol stepped between them and made sure Ned was okay.

“Good to see you kinda remember that.” Ned called back over Carol’s shoulder. 

“You don’t think I know what you are doing?” Peter spat back. 

“Peter, knock it off!” Carol warned him.

“You stole her away from me, you backstabbing punk!” 

“WHAT!?” Carol and Ned exclaimed simultaneously.

“Not even my mom would think I can get on with Captain Marvel!” Ned thought Peter was delusional, “and she thinks very highly of me.” 

“Peter, please.” Carol tried to find his eyes, but they were a blank stare lately.

“Good luck with this dumbass, I’m late for class.” Ned grabbed his backpack and stormed off. He didn’t have the energy to deal with Peter anymore. 

“I can’t believe you, either!” Peter then started to take his anger and frustration on Carol who was really close to losing it herself. She was too old for this shit.

“Me?” Carol snorted. “I can’t believe YOU, Peter!” She had to cover her face for a moment. 

She had been looking for a moment so they could talk, and never thought it would be when they were both upset and ready to rip each other’s head off. 

“Do you realize you just accused me of cheating on you?” Carol was trying not to yell, she was the bigger person here and needed to keep it down. “It’s so offensive and hurtful... that you think I would...” She shook her head. “Ugh....!!” She brought her hands to her face again, she really wanted to photon blast him to oblivion right now.

The fact that Peter was just looking at her without any emotion made things worse. 

“You owe Ned and me an apology.” She looked over to him.

“I didn’t accuse you of cheating on me! I confronted Ned about him sleeping with you!” He was not going to apologize about shit. 

“Oh my god!” Carol cried not believing him. “What the hell do you think that means, genius?” She couldn’t with this.

“All I know is that you have been spending a lot of time with him.” Peter pointed out at the nights she spent playing video games with his roommate. 

“While I wait for you, PETER!” She added context to his assumptions. “Because you are freaking gone!” She added. “And that’s another thing, what’s up with that?” She still couldn’t grasp that. “You are running after police cars like a fucking dog or something.”

“What? I don’t rush to play Fortnite with some random girl every time you leave me out and alone here waiting for you like a clown!” He didn’t understand why it was okay when she left but he couldn’t do the same.

“Is that really how you feel about my missions? That I leave you behind waiting like an idiot?” She chuckled; “well, thanks for letting me know... I guess” She rolled her eyes.

“I do spider-man stuff when you are out there doing Captain Marvel stuff.. why can’t you do the same?” He just needed her to stop hanging out with Ned. 

“Are you fucking serious right now?” She couldn’t even look at him. It deadass felt like she was fighting with a brick wall. 

Peter shrugged.

“I can’t deal with you right now. I...I’m tired of this, Peter...I can’t.” She shook her head and tried to figure out a way out of that place. “You are a jerk and I...this is too much.” She frowned.

She was supposed to be the stoic one, but right now the pain his behavior was causing her was impossible to hide. 

Carol turned around and left the room. She had never reached for the window in his room so fast.

Peter twitched lightly at her last words and started to struggle with his own thoughts. He ruffled his hair and bent upwards trying to gain control over his actions and words for a second, before itwas too late.

“Carol, wait...” He rushed over and pushed the window close stopping her before she left.

The blonde took a deep breath before she turned to look at him. She frowned once she noticed his eyes were staring right back at her, begging her to stay. 

He rested his arms on hers and crumbled in them, completely defeated and tired. She let him hold onto her for as long as he needed. 

“You can’t leave...you can’t leave while you are mad.” He reminded her. “We promised.” He pleated. 

Carol had to hold tighter from him as he struggled. She was officially alarmed. “We did.” She murmured agreeing they had the pact to talk out whatever would make them mad before leaving upset — something he had failed to call her out on the last time she had been over.

Captain Marvel gently studied his eyes. It felt like forever since the last time she had seen them look at her with life and the devoted way he always did. 

Carol and Peter moved to his bed. The invisible struggle his brain was handling in those moments made his head spin and it was giving him a headache. He could feel his brain pulsing against his skull. 

She was gentle and calm while holding him against her chest. Peter was enjoying the few seconds he had in her arms, letting the way her fingers brushed his hair relax him. 

“Babe, talk to me...” Carol was concerned. 

“I have it under control.” He promised. “I don’t want you to worry about it.” He frowned. He knew it was too late for that. 

Peter sobbed quietly against her neck. He didn’t know how long this moment would last. He missed her so much and the intuition that their relationship was now hanging from one thread was terrifying. It felt like he knew this was the last time he would be able to hold her like this.

“You are still mad at me...” He sniffed. He could tell, he knew her that well. 

She nodded once his eyes found hers. “That’s why I haven’t left yet.” She admitted.

Peter’s lips trembled once he leaned close to kiss her. 

Carol teared up quietly at the touch of his lips. It felt like she had been dealing with two different Peters since she had come back from her last mission. It was an emotional turmoil.

The way she could finally feel him adore her in the way she was used to stung like alcohol in a wound. 

Peter deepened the kiss once he felt her closing her embrace tightly around him.

He needed to figure out a way to dominate whatever it was that kept taking control of him, if he didn’t... he knew he would lose the most important thing in the world: he would lose her.


	4. Chapter 3

Peter had tried to leave the black suit behind, but like any drug it was an addiction that sounded easier in paper and imposible when trying to give it up.

That night, it had taken all his energy to keep himself from running after the constant sirens out in the streets that to his ear sounded like they were calling his name.

It was a challenge to enjoy his time with his girlfriend while his head was fighting between wanting to be with her and being out there in that suit.

Peter didn’t have a clue, but Carol had been able to pick that hesitation throughout the night. She felt like she needed to fight for his attention.

Each time a patrol car drove by, the blonde dreaded that he would leave.

They eventually turned the light off. Carol didn’t feel like cuddled against him like she always did and instead offered a peck on his lips and turned her back against him.

She had a lot in her mind, the constant wondering and worry didn’t let her sleep. 

Peter stayed awake by her side. The space between their bodies in bed felt like an ocean was separating them.He was waiting for her to fall asleep so he could finally leave.

After half an hour, he tried look over her shoulder and figured Carol had finally fallen asleep. Once the symbiote was latched onto him, he jumped out of the window at the sound the first siren he heard. The blonde quietly stared at the wall, with her back still on him, as she tried not to move.

Spider-Man was never aware that she had been left behind with an aching heart.

Ned eventually walked out of his room, it was that time at night when he had previously found Carol on her own playing while she waited for Peter to come back.

He was officially done with Peter, but he knew Carol was a great person and she didn’t deserve any of the crap Peter was putting her through, so wanted to be there for her.

He found the living room empty that night. She wasn’t anywhere to be seen. He quietly inched towards Peter’s bedroom, the bed was unmade but no signs for Carol.

This time around, Carol had left. She was done with Peter’s bullshit and was not going to sit there waiting for him like a clown — like he had so bluntly put it.

Instead, she headed to her apartment and lied in bed while the spinning going on in her mind kept her awake.

She was in her nightgown, resting over her back while her finger twirled one of her curls.

Carol kicked the sheets off of her and eventually got out of bed. She headed to her living room where she turned her Nintendo Switch on and loaded her Fortnite game.

Goose meowed and jumped on the couch next to her.

Carol felt like she could fight whomever got in her way and that game was the perfect channel to drain that frustration since it was all a virtual video game and no one could get hurt.

No one...except the feelings of the gamer she had been playing with for the past hour. She had been beating the crap out of that dude that it had stopped being funny.

They had added each other after their first encounter. It time it was only the two of them left and she eventually killed him, he asked for a rematch.

She tilted her head once the player requested to voice chat with her while they played. Carol figured this would be amusing so she set her head set on and accepted his request.

All this time she thought she was playing with some random teenager, which made her feel bad since she was a whole ass grown up draining every drop of fun out of this game without letting him win once.

She frowned and tilted her head at the obvious adult with deep voice and funny accent ranting over the mic. He was a bad loser, it seemed.

She said nothing until she was able to recognize that familiar voice. She muted her mic and bursted out in laughter once she figured out why his voice sounded so familiar: that was no other than Thor mad because some random chick was kicking his ass.

“All is fair in love and war, my dude.” She finally acknowledged him.

“Do you even know who I am!?” Thor wasn’t here for that disrespect.

“Some guy who really sucks at Fornite?” Carol teased.

“I’m Thor, the god of Thunder.” He said that as some sort of threat. This wasn’t his first time picking a fight over some silly game.

Carol had to swallow the laughter that was threatening to burst out of her.

“Is that supposed to intimidate me?” She challenged him. “Because I know you aren’t as tough as you make it sound.” She was casual when admitting that.

“Have you checked out my feats?” The nerve of his random woman to think he was a joke.

“I mean...it is universal knowledge that you aren’t even the strongest avenger.” She rolled her eyes while she continued to beat the crap out of him, in-game.

Thor was triggered. “Ha! If not I, who then?” He was the strongest, fuck this chick who obviously didn’t know what she was talking about.

Carol didn’t answer that, “I guess you are known for having girls kick your ass in battle and I don’t mean in game.” She beamed. It was just one girl (her), but still.

Parker finally made it back to his place just to find Carol was not in his room. He rushed to the living room to see if she’s there with Ned but that room was dark and empty. 

Peter inched toward Ned’s room and quietly tried to open the door but this one was locked. That was enough to alarm him and start slamming his first against it, demanding for Ned to open right this moment — he knew he slept with Carol.

“The hell?” A sleepy Ned was now at the door.

“I know you have her in there!” He pushed his friend to the side just to find there’s no one in his bed.

Ned grunted once his back hit the wall behind him.

“Where the fuck did you hide her?” Peter demanded to know. He had looked under the bed and in the closet. Ned’s window was stuck so she couldn’t have flown out from it.

“She left because you are an asshole, now get out of my room!” Ned spat back. 

Peter stormed out of the room and headed to his. He could feel the top of his head burning, the headaches he had been getting lately were draining him.

Carol found it very easy to ruffle Thor’s feathers by challenging him with the opinion that there were at least 2 of his teammates that were way stronger and powerful than him. She never said names but she tried to hint those were Captain Marvel and Doctor Strange respectfully. 

“Yeah, but can you breathe in space?” She mocked, “I don’t think so...” 

It was a tap to her window what distracted her from further messing with her friend. Her amusement faded and a frown grew between her browns once Peter waived at her from outside.

“I have to go Thunder-boy, but this was fun.” She pulled the headset off and tossed it onto the couch before she met Peter by the window.

“CAROL!!?” Thor finally realized it was Danvers the one beating the crap out of him while messing with him. However, she was not able to hear him now that she was opening the window for Peter to come in.

“I thought you were asleep when I left.” Peter frowned. 

Carol shrugged. 

“I lost it when I didn’t see you there.” He looked down at his hands. He could already taste how miserable he would be without her. He was even projecting his fear onto his best friend and that wasn’t helping his case at all.

Carol was quiet, too quiet. 

“All those things I said the other day...me behaving like this...” Peter knew he owe her an apology. “That...that isn’t me.” He didn’t know how to explain it without digging himself into a bigger hole. 

Carol’s broken eyes finally made eye contact with him. She knew that she would never be able to let go of those brown eyes and the way they looked at her like she was the only thing that existed in the world to him.

“I know.” She murmured. “But...even if it’s not you saying them, even though is not you behaving like that...it’s still you who is standing in front of me...hur—“

“No...” He interrupted her. He could never deal with hearing her say that he was hurting her. 

“I miss you.” She felt her eyes filling with heavy tears. She cupped his cheeks and sighed once he took her hands in his and kissed them. “Please...” She needed to know what was going on with him.

“I’m working on it. I promise.” He rested hisforehead against hers. 

“Please tell me what’s upsetting you.” She pleaded with a murmur.

Peter shook his head before he kissed her lips gently. “I have it under control.” 

“Before it is too late?” She whimpered.

“Do you trust me?” He quivered.

Carol closed her eyes and nosed gently against his warm cheek, his hand tightly hugging her from her waist.

“Yes...”

* * *

The next morning, Peter and Carol were in her kitchen. They were working on getting some breakfast. It was the feeling of his bulge pressing against her ass what made her turn around and find herself trapped between the kitchen counter and Peter’s half naked frame.

She was only wearing her nightgown, her panties were somewhere under her bed since the night before. Peter was only in his briefs. 

He had a headache from hell, but the way her firm legs looked under that short nightgown and how her sharp nipples were visible through the lace were driving him insane.

The blonde seductively smiled up at him and tilted her head. Her long fingers gently caressed each of his pectorals. 

“Wanna know a dirty little secret?” Peter’s husky voice wondered while his lips peppered her neck and his hands cupped her butt cheeks.

Carol nodded innocently. 

“I have always wanted to fuck you all over the place but Ned is always around.” He groaned.

The blonde was immediately turned on. This was exactly what she had always wanted for them: that little spice she had requested they added to their intercourse not too long ago. 

She looked around and playfully shrugged. “It’s a good thing that this is my place, and we are kinda alone right now.” She flirted. 

She giggled once Peter pulled her up from her butt cheeks over the counter and started to kiss down her cleavage. 

They fucked on the counter and then against the wall. They didn’t lose time to make good use of her shower where Peter pinned her against the wet tiles and made her scream his name like never before. They ultimately ended with their bodies completely breathless on her bed. 

Peter had never been so animalistic and Carol was enjoying every second of it. For the first time, Parker tried more positions than missionary and let his instincts take over him.

After a couple of hours of intense heat, their bodies collapsed next to each other.

Once their hearts calmed and stopped threatening to beat out of their chests, Peter rolled over on top of her ready to go for yet another round. 

He could fuck her all day.

He kissed her hungrily and Carol gave into the kiss at first. His lips were in a hurry as they started inch down her naked chest, with one specific spot in mind that they needed to reach and taste her melt in his mouth.

She stopped him half way once he made a quick stop by her belly button, just before he could reached between her legs.

“You know...” She had him meet her up so they could face each other, “it’s been a while since we have just talk and spend some time together.” She smiled shyly. 

Sex had been great, she had lost count of how long it had been. But she knew they needed to mend more than just the physical aspect of their relationship. 

She missed having fun with him and just talk about anything and laugh. 

Peter nodded. “I miss doing things like that too.”

Carol smiled slightly relieved, “do you want to have lunch later today?” She suggested. They always got some take out and chilled between his classes or work.

“I have that photoshoot at the Daily Bugle today.” He reminded her.

“I know.” She brushed her fingers through his hair. “We can get some Chinese from that place around the corner and eat on the roof.” They had done that in the past.

“Okay.” He agreed.

Carol sighed lightly and nuzzled against his neck. “Okay.” She echoed. 


	5. Chapter 4

Carol had been standing at the top of the Daily Bugle for ten minutes. She kept looking around hoping to spot Spider-man swinging himself up to the roof and meet her like they had agreed earlier that day.

She was hoping he had decided to get their usual order at the Chinese restaurant just around the corner before meeting her. But judging from his current behavior, she was dreading that he had stood her up for a stupid ass police patrol.

She pulled out her iPhone and after releasing a sigh, she sent him a message. The screen showed that he had gotten it, but had yet to read it.

Captain Marvel headed back down and walked into the lobby. She smiled at the young woman behind the reception counter and tried to keep her voice from cracking.

“May I help you?” The lady smiled back.

“Do you know if Peter Parker is still in?” She felt so stupid for having to ask her for a tip on her boyfriend’s location. That’s what those stupid cellphones were for; but he was not answering that.

“I think the photoshoot just wrapped a minute ago.” The receptionist shared. She hadn’t seen any of the models or staff leave just yet: their lunch break was at 1PM.

Carol nodded and pointed out at the waiting area across from the counter. She didn’t feel like going back up to the roof so settled on waiting for Peter there.

The blonde fetched for one of the magazines by the couch and started to browse through the pages. She never paid attention to any of the headlines or the pictures, she was lost in her own thoughts.

Parker’s voice echoed in the hall as he was on his way out of the building. She could recognize it anywhere.

Carol looked up. At first impression, she didn’t know what to make out of the fact that he was escorting two other women out of the building, one under each of his arms.

She wasn’t the jealous type, but the way he was holding them wasn’t too friendly-like either.

“Peter?” She stood up from her seat. She hadn’t called out his name until he had walked passed her.

Hadn’t he seen her there? Or did he miss her since he was too distracted flirting with his new friends?

She successfully stopped him at the sidewalk; just outside the building.

He turned around with the two women and found the blonde standing there completely puzzled.

“Hey.” He smiled casually.

Carol swallowed. Every emotion she was trying to suppress pulsing against her chest but still evident in her eyes.

“What...what are you doing?” It had taken everything in her to sound calm.

“Oh! We are going for burgers.” He clearly meant the three of them: Peter and his two lady friends.

They were two of the models from the photoshoot he was doing for the news paper.

He had hit off right away with them. Their playful behavior had made the photo session more fun. They weren’t scared of experimenting and he could throw at them any random idea he had for the portafolio.

“Right across the street.” One of them added.

Carol rested her hands on her stomach once she felt something abruptly drop down into it: she was sure that it had been her heart.

She chuckled, trying to hide her true feelings about this. “We were supposed to have lunch.” She nibbled on her lips. “Remember?”

As of now, Carol tried not to make a big deal out of the fact that his new friends were rubbing her the wrong way.

She was upset and wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Though, she didn’t know any more what he would be capable of doing regardless of how much it would hurt her.

Peter had totally forgot about their plans. The emotionless blank stare he was giving her made it evident that he didn’t feel a little bad about it, “you can come have a burger with us if you want” He suggested. “I guess.”

He would rather not, but if that stopped her from nagging then it was whatever.

His words were like nails on a chalkboard.

“Can we talk?” She sighed. She was trying to avoid make a scene, they were in a public place after all.

“I guess, but make it quick... we are starving.” He smiled at the two women who were giggling under his arms.

“In private, Peter.” She sounded mad.

“We can talk here. They are cool.” Peter insisted about the two models.

Carol narrowed her eyes and shook her head. He knew better than try her, but apparently that didn’t matter anymore.

“It’s okay, Peter.” One of them agreed to give them some space: the blonde lady had just curved her fingers into a fist and she looked like she could punch someone about now.

“We will wait at the restaurant.” The other one agreed.

They stepped away from Peter and turn around wait for the traffic to slow down so they could cross the street.

One of them casually turned around and walked over to Carol who was breathing loud trying to calm herself down.

“We didn’t know.” The model pursed her lips. That was supposed to be some sort of apology for pissing her off.

Carol turned her eyes over from Peter to the model and frowned. She watched the young lady cross the street with her friend and her attention went back to her boyfriend.

“I can’t believe you would do that!” Peter was upset. He didn’t let her have a say before he complained about how the two hot girls were now gone.

“Excuse _you_?” Carol couldn’t believe him right now. “You are mad?” She had to laugh.

“You totally ruined that for me...” he pointed over to the diner across the building.

“Ruined what exactly, Peter?” She narrowed her eyes. At this stage, she wouldn’t be surprised if he missed the cue in her question to realize he was being a jerk and correct that.

“I could have totally nailed that.. both...at the same time!” He smiled mischievously. That was a hot picture right there. Two hot chicks at the same time; bet none of those avengers had ever done that.

It was at that moment when Carol felt her whole heart shattering into pieces, if possible. In the past ten minutes, Peter had managed to break her heart over and over again. “Fuck you!” She took a step back away from him.

Peter had crossed the line. He had suggested the unforgivable. He had been neglecting her, he had been insulting her with made-up assumptions, and now suggesting she, his girlfriend, had ruined his chance at getting laid...that wasn’t the cherry on top; that was a whole new cake.

She hated that they were having this conversation in the middle of the street where people kept walking by and going in and coming out of the building.

The only bright side about it was that it kept her from photon blasting him out of her sight, out of her life.

People could definitely still tell that they were going through a nasty break-up, even if both of them had yet to realize that.

“Did you lose every sense of reality?” She couldn’t believe him. “Who the fuck tells their girlfriend that they could have had some threesome with two random...whatevers... and then blame her for it!?” It had taken a lot in her not to slut-shame the models; her frustration was with Peter, not them.

“It’s not like I would have done it!” Peter explained. “But it’s hot that the possibility was there.”

“Shut up, you idiot!” He really needed to figure out what to say and what to shove up his ass and keep to himself.

Peter shrugged.

Carol covered her face with her hands. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to beat the crap out of him.

She couldn’t believe that the same guy who had spent so long adoring her and wooing her was telling her all this. It was impossible for Carol to grasp the reality that Peter, who not long ago had her on a pedestal, was treating her like crap.

“Is this payback?” She sobbed. “Is this your way of teaching me a lesson for playing some dumb video game with your best friend?” She couldn’t think of anything else. “Or for not taking you with me this last time?”

“No...”

“Because trust me, playing Fortnite with your roomie and fantasizing about cheating on me with two of your models...NOT the same thing.” She assured him.

“Jesus, woman, I was just saying!” Peter insisted about how the threesome thing was just an idea that had sporadically pop into his mind. “Can’t you just let it go!?”

Carol was quiet. She didn’t recognize the asshole standing in front of her. The Peter that had her wrapped around his finger had quickly faded into this new version of him.

“Who are you?” She shook her head.

“I’m still me but better.”

Carol snorted at that. She shifted on her feet. She needed to get out of there. She needed to get away from him.

“I asked you to have lunch with me today so we could start mending our relationship. I was hoping that we could get to it before it was too late.” She teared up.

Peter was a blank stare.

“We were hanging from a thread. Last night... I thought you feared this too.” She looked down. It was too painful to be pouring her heart out while he didn’t seem to care one bit. “Asking you to have lunch with me today, was my last intent to save us.” She whimpered.

Peter’s head was pulsing horribly and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of this.

This fight felt so one-sided. It was a lost battle. She was trying to rescue something that had been gone for days now. It was like trying to give CPR and blow air into lungs that had stopped breathing. It was too late, there was nothing else that could be done.

Carol was officially done. She felt the emotional equivalent of a heart rate monitor giving a long beep before it went quiet.

“Say something...” She begged while heavy tears ran down her cheek. She was giving up.

The only reason why she dealt with so much shit and his behavior was because she didn’t want to give up just yet. But things were just getting worse, and it was too much.

Captain Marvel was arguably the strongest of them all. Everyone believed that she was unbreakable: she could fly through ships and bust them down without a scratch on her. But inside, she was just human, with feelings, and Peter had the power to tear her apart like she was made out of paper.

Peter twitched lightly but didn’t say anything.

He couldn’t keep his promise and had been unable to break free from what had him drowning inside his own head while something completely evil took control of it.

She felt so small and meaningless against his neglect, his words, and actions...and ultimately his silence.

Carol cleaned her face with her fingers and sobbed. “It’s over, Peter.” Her voice broke as she finally admitted that to herself.

She walked passed him and tried get lost in the crowd walking along the side walk, everything inside of her crumbled.

Peter crossed the street once she flew off. He walked into the diner where the two models were waiting for him.

One of them stood up so he could slide into their booth and sit between the two of them.

He fetched for the menu on the table so they could figure what to eat and place their order. 

* * *

  
Carol had made it back to her place. She was curled up in bed, crying.

Goose was the only one consoling her. The flerken was purring against her neck while she let the Kree-hybrid hug her. 

There were constant knocks at her door, but she never answered them. Monica had been trying to get her to open the door for half an hour now.

The young woman knew something was up when Carol had barely been able to talk over the phone to ask her to cancel the meeting the team had scheduled for the afternoon.

Back at his place, Spider-man crawled in through the window and immediately started to try rip the symbiote off from his body.

He screamed as he fell on his knees and reached for the back trying to pull it off from over his head. 

He was devastated as he fought it off. Peter no longer had energy or strength of his own. He was emotionally, mentally, and physically drained. 

Every beat his heart bump hurt like hell. The harder he fought the symbiote, the tighter it latched onto him. 

“GET OFF ME!” He demanded as he stumbled over his desk and knocked the chair onto the ground. 

“SHE’S GONE! AND IT IS YOUR DOING!” He cried out, he was not giving up. 

Peter felt like he was fighting a lost battle. He tried to rip off one part of the symbiote out of his face but the specimen was too fast for him. 

Spider-man covered his face with his hands and cried in pain. 

She had been right: that thing had the power to make him lose what meant the most for him in the world. 


	6. Chapter 5

The last signs that Peter was still trying to break lose from the symbiote were slowly drowning while the specimen took complete control of his body.

The friendly neighborhood vigilante had turned completely reckless while he swung through the buildings in the city.

The turn he had taken was no longer only affecting those close to him, but also civilians. The people of New York had figured out by now that he no longer looked after them, and anything and anyone that stood on his way would have to deal with the consequences.

Even if the common folk were confused about their hero’s sudden personality change, news outlets and editors like J. Jonah Jameson were loving every second of it.Specially for the later, who had a hate boner for the wall-crawler. There was nothing that brought more revenue than cheap views on a click-bait article about everyone’s favorite super-hero. Spider-man was just making this easier for him by being a total asshole.

Things back at home had hit rock bottom. The last time Ned had heard Peter around the apartment had been two days ago. He had tossed everything around in his room and shit was broken or ripped apart. Ned was positive Peter hadn’t come back since that day.

Ned was worried about his friend. At first he thought his behavior was so out of character for him and something was bothering Peter and it had him taking it out on the people close to him.

But seeing how all this had escalated to a larger scale made him think that maybe there was more to it and he just needed to try figure out what was it that Peter wasn’t telling him.

Ned knew he couldn’t do this on his own and that had led him to the Avengers Headquarters.

Sam was the one to answer the door. It had taken a second for Ned to keep his posture in check and not freak out at the presence of Captain Falcon standing in front of him.

Just like any human sidekick, Ned had constantly daydreamed about teaming up with the Avengers; meeting them in the flesh was every fanboys dream come true.

The rest of the team gathered at the foyer so they could listen to the young man and his take on Spider-man’s sudden mood swings.

Among them was Carol. She was quiet, the rest of the team respecting her space knowing she was still mourning her break-up with Parker.

There wasn’t anything she could add to the discussion that Ned hadn’t experienced first hand.

Ned mentioned how May had contacted him concerned now that Peter wouldn’t answer her calls and would leave her messages on seen.

The team had also heard that Peter had crossed the line with Happy, with whom he had grown a special bond after working close with him through Tony.

Pepper had also mentioned that she had prohibited for Peter to see Morgan who was indisputable one of his favorite people. Parker had made her cry three times in the past couple weeks and so he could no longer hang out with the 7-year-old.

The Avengers agreed that they needed to interviene and figure out what was causing Peter’s misbehavior.

Ned smiled slightly once the team backed him up and were willing to get to the bottom of this.

The young man pulled a small flash drive out of the front pocket of his jeans and showed it to them as it rested on the palm of his hand.

“Have you seen that before?” Sam turned to look at Carol.

She had her arms crossed against her chest. The blonde shook her head, “no.”

“I figured the only person who could tell us what’s going on is Peter himself.” Ned shared with them.

“You think we can find something on his v-logs.” Carol frowned. Her voice was low, while she tried to stay stoic and not show how much it hurt to stand there discussing this.

Ned nodded.

“Those silly videos he is always making?” Scott wondered. “That’s just him being silly with a camera.”

“Those v-logs are like his private journal, he doesn’t let anyone see them...I know I never did.” Carol shrugged lightly.

“Aren’t you gonna get in trouble for hacking onto them?” Sam wondered, his eyes on Ned.

“It sounds like he wasn’t joking when he said they were just for himself.” Bucky recalled.

“I didn’t hack into his private cloud.” Ned explained. “Peter always trusted me with a bypass password that would allow me to download them, with the promise that I will never watch them. It was always in case of emergencies.” He clarified.

Peter had given him the password after the blip. He knew that missions would start to get more challenging and if anything ever happened to him, then Ned could help figure out his whereabouts through those videos.

Ned looked up and met Carol’s eyes for a moment. “I’m just the messenger.” He explained, “to give them to the one person I thought was the most suited to go through them.”

Captain Marvel looked down at the flash drive that was still in Ned’s hand. “No...” She gulped lightly. “I can’t watch that, I’m sorry.”

“It’s our only hope.” Ned frowned. “It’s just a handful. I downloaded the past few weeks only.”

The team nodded and encouraged her to take the flash drive and watch the videos. After a few seconds of hesitation, Carol slowly reached for the flash drive and agreed to look for any clues on them.

* * *

  
Carol waited until she was back at her place, alone in the dark, to watch the v-log entries. She contemplated the flash drive as she held it with two fingers. She sat at the dining table where a laptop was waiting for her to plug the flash drive in.

She sighed and opened the files. There were only about 7 videos in there. Each of them ran for around three to four minutes. She slide the mouse towards the first one and clicked on it so it could start playing.

Peter’s bright grin immediately beamed on the screen. Carol couldn’t remember when was the last time she had seen him so happy and full of life. 

The second that had just played was painful enough for her to realize that watching these videos was going to be hard. She felt like she was watching old videos from a loved one who had recently passed away. It was an indescribable kind of pain, one that made you miss that person with your whole chest and feel completely helpless.

She was quick to recognize her frame on the background. She was asleep. He had recorded this in the ship they had shared on their last mission together. That had been weeks ago, so this meant Peter hadn’t done that many v-logs since. 

“I’m legit the luckiest man alive!” He shared with his camera. “It’s crazy how I’m here doing this and she is right there behind me and I already miss her.” He admitted. “God, every time she leaves for a mission...I go crazy. I’m talking literal separation anxiety, here.” He smiled playfully. 

Carol frowned as she heard him talk. She could feel her heart aching. 

“When she asked me to tag along, phew...” Peter was happy beyond words. “This is awesome! The fact that I’m teaming up with her is awesome, but like not being apart is the best feeling.” 

The blonde had found it hard to look at the video as she kept hearing him. She was staring at her fingers as she sniffed.

“She’s the most important thing in the world to me.” He confessed. “I would be completely lost without her.” 

Carol shook her head. She brushed her cheek with her fingers once she felt a tear rolling down her cheek. She missed him, but the Peter talking on that video and the one she had broken up with were two different people.

“I love her.” He smiled. 

Carol turned her eyes to meet his as the video kept playing. She sobbed unable to stop for more tears to run down her face.

“And it’s not that I’m a coward and that’s why I haven’t told her.” He added. “I’m just waiting for the perfect moment.” He wanted it to be just right, perfect.

Peter then confessed that he always told her so while she was asleep and couldn’t hear him. He brought the recorder with him to bed and adjusted next to her. 

Captain Marvel had to take her attention away from the video once again. This was harder than she had imagined. 

“Carol?” He murmured as he let the camera capture how she unconsciously curled back into his embrace. 

The blonde looked over once she heard hisvoice call her name. She almost replied but her brain was quick to remember that he was talking to her on the video.

“I love you...” He whispered sweetly before he turned the camera off.

Carol was drowning in her tears once the video stopped. There hadn’t been anything in that video that explained Peter’s behavior, but it had been some sort of love letter that she had gotten a little too late.

She played the second video. Peter’s enthusiasm immediately filled the dark room through her screen. 

He was giving a quick recap of their day on mission. This was their second night on location. He was happy because he got to be with her and see her in action. 

He also bragged about how he had been able to challenge himself out there with his skills and powers and completely outdone himself and did things he never thought were possible. 

“But that’s not the only thing I wanna brag about” he wiggled his eyebrows.

Carol couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. She caught herself asleep in the background just like the night before. 

“I just had sex in space!” He couldn’t believe that. “It was so good.” He smiled. 

Carol blushed lightly, even if her eyes were still sad and she was heartbroken.

“I tell you... sex in space... five stars, I totally recommend!” He grinned. Peter looked over his shoulder to check on her and licked his lips. “Anyways, I just wanted to say that... I gotta go... I just wanna spend all night holding her and watching her sleep.” He reached out to turn the recorder off.

The blonde sighed and without losing more time, she played the third video: just like the previous two, she was asleep on the background. She figured this one was of their last night there before they came back home. 

Carol sighed as he explained how he wanted to go explore on his own even if that meant he would leave her in bed — something he never did.

The blonde watched his path through the camera in a first person perspective. She shook her head and rolled her eyes once he almost got hurt with the botanical creatures she had warned him about. 

She leaned in closer once the Klyntar showed on screen. Her hazel eyes widen for a second before she closed them, “god Peter...please.” She really begged he had listened to her and left that thing alone.

“WHOA!!” He exclaimed behind the camera, “no... stay away from me!” He was backing off with the shaky camera still recording the symbiote following him. “No...no... you are the creepy looking oil-thingy Carol warned me about!” He kept fighting against it.

“I guess you did listen.” She rolled her eyes.

“I usually don’t mind making new friends,” Peter explained as he jumped back onto his feet and turned around to leave, “but I can’t afford to lose her. So, I’m flattered, but hard pass.” He started running, trying to leave that thing behind. “Maybe some of other time...or not.”

Carol was alarmed about this. She had that dreadful feeling that the symbiote was behind his sudden change and it scared the living shit out of her. 

She started to fast forward the video while her eyes tried to keep tabs of what he had recorded all the way back to the ship.

“Please, please, please...” She begged once she played the next two videos. She was watching them at a X2 speed trying to find any sort of hint that the symbiote was around. 

It was until she played the sixth video when Peter showed up standing in front of his camera wearing a black suit. 

Carol’s heart sank into her stomach. 

“This things is so cool!” He exclaimed while he juggled around. “It def doesn’t feel like it’s something evil or is willing to hurt me.” He explained; that’s what Carol had made him believe after all. 

The blonde kept listening, disappointed and worried about him at the same time.

“I know what she said, but I think imma go try it on and see how I like it.” 

For the past five minutes, Captain Marvel had understood that her ex-boyfriend was acting under the influence of a very powerful specimen, but that last sentence had wounded her like a sharp dagger straight to her heart. 

At the end of the video, Peter admitted to be excited for the suit and that he was going to keep it: even if that meant he would have to keep its existence from her.

All that she had gone through for the past few weeks had hurt her so much, that by the end of that video she was feeling completely numb. To her eyes, Peter had made a decision — he had made a choice even when he knew of the consequences.

There were only two more videos left. She fast forward through the next one. She could only tell that Peter was exhausted while talking to his camera, she couldn’t put herself into hear him say another word about that suit.

She clicked on the last video which featured Peter struggling with the symbiote. She checked the date on screen: it was from the night they had broken up. 

Carol immediately flew out of her apartment and went looking for him. She decided to intervine and help him get rid of it. 

It didn’t take her long to find the trail of damage Spider-man was leaving behind him as he terrorized the civilians on the streets.

Peter’s battle against the symbiote was internal. They kept fighting for the control on his actions as he kept swinging and jumping through the city. 

The more Spider-man tried to rip the specimen off of him, the more violent it reacted. He was running out of energy and strength, it felt like he was slowly drowning and air was no longer getting into his lungs.

“Peter...!” Captain Marvel called from a far. 

He looked up for a second, “Carol...” he whispered in pain. The sound of her voice sparking enough will inside of him to try keep fighting the symbiote.

She flew closer and watched the symbiote latching tighter as Peter struggled. She shot some of her photon blast straight at him, trying to piss it off. 

The symbiote groaned and chirped as it tried to reach into the air and get a hold of her. 

The way Peter was fighting against it shifted in that moment. He was no longer trying to get rid of it but now he was trying to hold it back. “NO!” He screamed, “don’t you dare getting close to her!” He sobbed. 

It was taking everything inside of him to stay away from fighting her. 

Captain Marvel flew closer and let her feet stand on the pavement at the end of the street. 

“Peter...” She tried to get their attention as she called out his name. “It’s okay, let it come to me.” She nodded softly. 

The symbiote completely took control of spider-man and rushed his way over to the Kree-hybrid. It was not only going to fight her, but her energy and strength made her a better host all together.

Carol’s eyes never looked away from the symbiote as it swung over and jumped into the air aiming to knock her over on its way down.

Once the symbiote was above her, Captain Marvel reached up and pulled Peter down completely unlatching him from the specimen. She shot some photon blasts its way as a threat to keep it away for a second.

“Carol...I...” Peter ignored the headache that was making his vision blurry.

His hands were feeling her face while he tried to find words to explain himself.

“There’s no time.” She looked away. “You still need take care of it.” She was not going to clean his mess. 

Peter nodded, “and we can talk then?” He begged.

Carol couldn’t make eye contact with him. 

“Please...” He looked up now that she had stopped the photon blasts and the symbiote was ready to attack. 

Spider-man looked around and found an old empty building that was scheduled to be demolished in the next couple of days.

He stole the symbiote’s attention and had it follow him there. They played tag while the vigilante crawled and swung his way to the top floor. 

Peter noticed how the symbiote had copied his agility and skills. The only thing he had in advantage against it was his brain and intelligence. His skills and arachnid powers only bought him time, but he knew he would have to outsmart the symbiote if he wanted to defeat it for once and for all.

The first thing Spider-man tried to figure out was the weakness that thing had — everyone had a weakness. Carol had mentioned the Kree had been able to get rid of it, but how? 

Peter started to try everything that came to mind. It was until he stumbled against a pile of steel poles when he noticed how the clinking sound was unbearable to the symbiote.

“What’s that?” Peter grabbed one of the poles and stabbed it into the floor, “you want me to keep it quiet?” He hit the pole with a second one with all his strength. 

The symbiote cried in pain. 

“Now be a good boy and sit there!” Spider-man clang the poles against each other again. 

Spider-man grabbed them all and got creative with them. “I want to dedicate this song to you, it’s called ‘FUCK YOU’!” He didn’t miss any of the poles as he clang one by one and watched the symbiote completely surrendered. 

The wall-crawler didn’t miss a flinch from the black specimen before he clang the steel poles against each other again. 

Peter’s sight looked up when a familiar bright aura inched closer to the building. Carol stepped inside through the window and photon blasted the defeated symbiote until it was completely disintegrated. 

“You don’t happen to have a vacuum cleaner with you, do you?” Carol joked lightly. 

Now that the symbiote was practically dead, Peter started to feel every muscle of his body collapsing. He ripped his mask off his face and kneeled onto the floor as he noticed how he didn’t have a drop of strength left inside of him and his brain was beating hard like drums against his head. 

Once he looked up, he found that Captain Marvel was no longer standing there. 

Every bone in his body ached, his head was about to explode and he felt like he couldn’t breathe... but ir was the fact that she was gone that hurt the most. 


	7. Chapter 6

The next thing in Peter’s list was to make amends with every person he hurt along the way. He hoped they all would give him a second chance.

That morning, Peter found his roommate at the kitchen. Ned was making some eggs and bacon for his breakfast when Parker met him by the stove.

“Hey man...” Peter frowned. No one ever said that apologizing was easy, “I owe you an apology.” He sighed.

Ned was willing to hear him out. Once he learned about the alien thing that had took over him, he understood that it hadn’t really been his best friend being a complete dick to him.

“The way I talked to you, the way I pushed you.” Peter couldn’t believe any of that. “Listen, I don’t want to give you a list of ‘buts’ about any of that.”

To Parker, the experienced had played in his head as if he was an spectator who couldn’t do anything to stop his body from hurting him.

“I never thought you would.” Ned frowned. “And I guess in a way, you didn’t.” He smiled faintly.

“That thing with Carol...” Peter ruffled his hair. “You know I don’t mind that you hang out.” He thought he was lucky that his best friend and (ex)girlfriend got along. “Not that it matters now.” He frowned.

Ned nodded.

“Do you think we can be friends again?” Peter shyly asked.

“I don’t know man, did you really get rid of that thing?” Ned joked.

“All of it.” Peter promised.

The two young man smiled glad that their friendship wasn’t over. They shared their secret handshake and Peter opened the fridge.

“Want some eggs? I think I can still crack a couple in and scrambled them with mine.” Ned offered.

Peter nodded and helped out with the rest of details so they could hang out and eat breakfast like old times. 

* * *

  
The next person Peter went looking for was Happy. He had said a few things to him that he wouldn’t ever say in his right mind.

“I hope you know you are like a —“

“Father to you?” Happy interrupted the young adult.

“More like an uncle...twice removed.” Peter explained.

Happy narrowed his eyes before he smiled playfully, “I’ll take that.” 

Peter smiled back and rubbed his arm. “There’s a lot of things I’ve learned from you, and I appreciate that.” He got serious for a moment.

“Like how to get women who are way out of our league?” He teased about his relationship with May and Peter’s relationship with Carol. 

“No.” Peter shook his head, “don’t even go there.” He still had issues picturing that. The realization that any adult member of your family had sex was equally terrible and disgusting.

Happy gently reached for Peter and hugged him. He patted his back gently and promised that everything was forgiven. 

“I talked to Pepper, they are waiting for you.” Happy let him know. Peter had asked him to talk to Tony’s widow and see if she would be willing to hear him and let him apologize to Morgan. 

Peter smiled grateful for his help and headed over.

* * *

Peter knew that Morgan and Pepper would be possibly the hardest to apologize to. After all, a seven-year-old who was now scared of him was involved. He knew the kid didn’t have the age to understand the complexity of what had made him be so mean to her.

Parker talked to Pepper first. She and Tony were very important and now that he was gone, it meant so much to stay part of their lives with Morgan. 

He understood how his behavior might have affected the little girl, and he didn’t blame Pepper for deciding to keep her away from him. However, he hoped that she could see the good in him and give him another chance. 

“That’s for her to decide...” Pepper tilted her head before they walked into the backyard were Morgan was playing with her tea set.

Peter nodded and quietly walked over. The kid hid behind the tea table and shyly observed him.

“Hey...” Peter gulped. It had been hard to see her be scared of him like that.

Morgan didn’t say anything.

“You know how when someone hurts their best friend they need to apologize and promise to never do it again?” Peter tilted his head.

Morgan nodded.

“As your best friend, I came to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I yelled.” He frowned. 

Morgan looked away for a second and slowly started to come around. “You forgot to say you won’t do it again.” 

Peter smiled at how smart she was. “You are right.” He nodded, “I promise I will never do it again.”

“I forgive you.” The kid nodded. “Do you want to stay for tea?” She offered him one of her china cups and a scone.

Peter nodded and took one of the chairs so he could sit. 

“These are real by the way, so it’s okay if you wanna bite it.” She giggled. There had been this time when Peter was having tea with her that he had bitten one of her plastic scones. 

Peter chuckled along, “good to know!” He grabbed the sugar and offered some for her tea, “two sugars as usual?” He made believe he poured them into her tea cup once the girl nodded.

* * *

Peter stopped for lunch at May’s. It had been weeks since he last had talked to her and if it weren’t for Ned, she wouldn’t even know if he was still alive.

Peter knocked at the door instead of using his own key. He smiled once his aunt answered and slowly hugged her back once she had immediately wrapped her arms around him. 

“You are an idiot!” She scolded him with a soft murmur, “don’t ever pull something like that again...” 

“I promise.” He agreed.

“That doesn’t mean anything to me anymore, you always break your promises... like the man you are.” She joked.

“Can you not?” He requested, “leave it to her to remind me how we suck.” He teased back.

“Oh....” May finally pulled back, “you haven’t talk to her, huh?” She figured that was driving him crazy.

He shook his head and pouted. “I mean she agreed to meet me, I guess that’s something.” He kept telling himself that.

Their phone call from the night before had lasted like 30 seconds. Peter wanted to talk and Carol sounded like she had built the Berlin Wall between them. 

May sighed and walked with him inside. “I hope you are hungry, I did your favorite.” She tried to cheer him up.

Peter smiled faintly and agreed to eat it all even if he wasn’t hungry at all. 

* * *

Peter and Carol had agreed to meet at the top of the Daily Bugle. He had arrived earlier so waiting for her to show up felt like an eternity.

He was on his spider-man suit standing at the edge of the building as he looked up hoping to see her fly by. 

He checked the time on his phone just to realized she was ten minutes late. He didn’t have any text messages or missed calls from her either.

His heart started to slowly sink while he dreaded that she was not going to show up. 

It was five minutes later when Captain Marvel met him, she too was suited up. 

Peter smiled shyly as she adjusted on her feet and stood a few steps away from him. 

She didn’t smile back, her gestures were too stoic for him to be able to read her and try figure out what was on her mind. 

“Hey...” He shakily greeted her. 

He didn’t leave time for her to greet him back, scared that she might not. “I just wanted to talk to you and see you...” he started. 

It was his turn to pour his heart out just like she had done a few days ago before she called it quits with him. 

“I heard you, Carol...I heard you when you said that even if it wasn’t me saying all those thing and acting like this... it was still me who you saw doing it.” He had heard every word. 

Carol frowned and looked down to her hands. 

“I promised myself that I would never do anything to hurt you and in a way it was that thing who did everything.” He took one step closer, hoping she wouldn’t pull away. 

“You broke my heart.” She mumbled once she felt one tear sliding down her cheek. She never looked up, she couldn’t face him right now.

“I would never pick doing anything rather than be with you in my right mind. I would never... nothing happened with those two girls...you are the most important thing to me!” He wished he had ways to prove that to her.

Carol shook her head, just like every one of the people he had apologize to knew, she was aware that his behavior back then was not something he could prevent and she had seen first hand how he fought it and how exhausting it was... that wasn’t what had broken her heart.

“You knew...” she sobbed, “you knew you could lose me...you knew you could...” she brushed the tears that kept pampering her cheeks, “and you still chose it.” She finally let him see her eyes. 

“No...” He teared up. “I chose you... you are my everything, please.” He was now standing in frontof her. It made him miserable to be able to hear the pain in her sobbing.

“No you didn’t, Peter.” She slowly opened her fist and showed him the flash drive she had with her.

Peter didn’t know what that was.

“Ned gave me this, it’s some of your v-logs...he thought it would help try figure out what was going on with you.” She handed him the flash drive.

Peter gently took it from her hand and frowned. 

“I was the only one who saw them.” She assured him. 

“Please, Carol...” he didn’t know what she had seen, but he knew those v-logs kept constantly recording how much she meant to him. “Please tell me...there must be something, anything, I can do to show you...”

Captain Marvel shook her head, “it’s over.” She didn’t know how she was able to break-up with him twice without physically crumbling into a million pieces.

“I—I did a very stupid thing and I wish I could take it back... but I can’t.” Peter was desperate to try find a way to not lose her. “What we have...it’s so special and so good...so....right...”

Carol didn’t answer. She just sobbed quietly. 

“I—I—I love you so much, Carol.” His trembling fingers reached out for her hands and he slowly brought them to his lips.

“How dare you...” She whimpered. It hurt so much that he would tell her that for the first time after feeling that he had lost her. 

“There...there’s gotta be a way we can go passed this...” his voice was cracking while he ran his fingers through her arms and found her wet cheeks. “I just can’t imagine my life without you...” He tried to dry her face but tears just kept running down. 

He was crying too. He was crumbling inside, he felt like his legs would give out on him. His heart ached and he didn’t know what to do.

“Please, Peter...” She took his hands in hers and pulled them away from her face.

“What am I gonna do without your kisses and your laugh... wake up in the morning without you there, unable to call you or text you...”Peter wrapped his arms around her and kneeled down begging her to reconsider.

“I can’t do this.” She teared up. “You are a totally different person to me now.” She stepped back. 

“Please...” He sobbed against her belly.

“I used to think of you as someone who would never hurt me. That I could completely let my guard down and trust you with all my heart, and it didn’t matter if I warned you... it didn’t matter if you knew keeping that thing around would ruined it... you still did.”

She stepped aside and helped him stand back up. “This can’t be it...” Peter had no idea how to move on, how to carry on without her.

“You won’t see me around anymore.” She explained the reason why she had agreed to meet with him, “I’ll be full time at Alpha Flight now.”

“What?” Peter frowned. 

She nodded. She knew it would be painful for both of them to cross paths and she belonged out in space anyways. 

“Goodbye, Peter.” She slowly let go of his hands.

Peter whimpered and tried to stop her but it was evident she had already made up her mind and nothing he could say would make her have a change of heart.

Carol squeezed his hands lightly before she stepped back and flew away. 

Peter looked up to the sky and followed her comet-like shape out of the atmosphere with his blurry eyes until it was impossible to see her. 

He sniffed and let his body crumble over the edge of the building. He needed to stay alone for a moment now. 

He got lost in his thoughts, the memories, and the lingering feeling of her holding him and kissing him. 

Peter cleaned his tears off and put his mask on. He had just remembered that she had mentioned a voice note she had sent to him back when she was on mission and he was distracted with the symbiote, so he had missed it. 

He had yet to listen to it. He needed to hear her voice, her voice when she talked to him like nothing could get in the way of their relationship, not the way it did that afternoon: full of pain and heartbroken.

He found the old message and pressed play on it:

> Hey babe. I’m at the location now, the planet looks like nothing could really survive here for more than a day. Oddly enough the density levels seem bearable, but there’s no gravity whatsoever. Once I have more information, I’ll let you know.
> 
> I really meant what I said before I left. You know, how you need to do your homework and graduate and then...then you can come with me anywhere, we can travel to every corner of the universe: it’s what I want too, we belong together, right?
> 
> I love you. 
> 
> ...and I’m not really sorry that I’m saying it for the first time on a voice note, because I know how much you like recording that type of thing and this way you kinda do. 
> 
> I love you, Peter Parker.
> 
> I have to go now, but I can’t wait to hear back from you. I know is hard to be apart, just keep in mind that soon, you’ll tag along and that I love you.

Peter sniffed and rewinded her message a few seconds and kept replaying how her voice had whispered with so much tenderness and devotion how much she loved him. 

That message had been more than just a note on her whereabouts, but a love letter he had gotten a little too late.

** The End **


	8. Epilogue

** Two years later... **

For the past 24 months, Peter remained focused on two things: his homework and a suit that could let him travel to space.

Every time he had to study for a test or was working on his new gadgets and suit, he put his headphones on and played the last voice message he had from Captain Marvel.

He had transferred the file to his cellphone so he could hear her voice whenever he wanted and needed.

For the first few months after the break-up, he played on repeat the part where she said how much she loved him, but as time went by and he learned to use his broken heart as fuel to never give up, he started to replay the part where she encouraged him to finish college so they could explore the universe together: even after 2 years, he still believed they belonged together, even if he hadn’t seen her or heard from her since.

After long nights and countless headaches, Peter Parker had successfully built a suit that he hoped would resist every level of density, oxygen, and gravity a human like him needed when out in space — every corner of it. All he needed was to test run it, but he would figure out a way to do that without putting his life at risk.

That wasn’t the only accomplishment he was celebrating: his college graduation was taking place the following day.

He had never seen May so annoyingly excited. She kept texting him, making sure he had his pants and jacket pressed. She had made sure they rented his graduation gown and cap ahead of time, as well.

Peter was already dreading Aunt May going full soccer mom during the ceremony but he wouldn’t dare ruin her bright mood about it, no matter how lowkey embarrassing it would be. She was perhaps the person he was most grateful for and this was as much her victory as it was his.

For May, it was a rollercoaster of emotions to see how Peter’s name was called out so he could walk up the podium and go through the traditional process every college graduate went through.

To May it felt like it had been yesterday when she and Ben had cheered at his kindergarten graduation.

She was a mess of tears once Peter met her at the back. May hugged him lovingly and made sure to reassure him that she had gotten the best nephew on earth and she couldn’t be more proud of him.

They were soon met by Ned and Priscilla. Cissy, as her friends called her, and Peter had gone on a date a few months back. They had gotten along and had a great time together at a play that had been interrupted by a werewolf. Peter hadn’t made another move on her since, and Cissy was smart enough to know there was someone else keeping him from moving on. They remained close friends.

Ned had a bottle of champagne with him which he happily popped open and handed each adult in their little circle a glass so they could properly celebrate.

“It still feels surreal to me that you are old enough to drink.” May whimpered.

“Please don’t go there...” Peter begged. He had grown with Ned, and yet still knew May could find ways to embarrass him in front of his best buddy.

“I mean we did just turn 21 one last year.” Cissy played along.

“You sure?” May frowned. She hoped Peter could stop growing already.

Peter was twenty-two now, and that sip of champagne he was about to take was probably the third drink he had had in his life.

“Be right back...” He announced almost as if he had been hypnotized by whatever had distracted him from the moment he was sharing with the people closest to him

Cissy looked up to find a woman standing out in the distance, at the top of the hill over the outdoor auditorium.

May and Ned looked over and shared a look once they recognized her, even if it was impossible to tell who it was from a far; that could only be one person.

Peter felt his heart bumping loud against his chest as he walked up the hill. It felt like that hill was the Everest and the closest he got to her, the less oxygen his lungs could gasp.

The blonde smiled gently once he met her at the top.

“Hi...” Carol murmured.

“H—Hey.” He couldn’t believe his eyes, “for how long have you been here?” He gulped.

“Through the whole thing.” She felt her hazel eyes dancing with his like not a single second had gone by since the last time she had seen him look at her with so much devotion.

“I mean on earth...” He brushed his arm, “wait you saw me graduate?” His eyes were big.

“Is that your diploma?” Carol reached out and took the paper he had on his hands from him. She could tell his hands were sweaty for how pampered the sheet was.

“No, it’s just a black piece of paper.” He chuckled as he cleaned his hands on his gown.

“I can’t believe they still do that.” She laughed along.

“Yeah.”

Carol’s eyes moved down and she tilted her head at the glass of champagne he was still holding. She had forgotten he wasn’t able to drink yet back when they dated, “it’s been a while.” She heard her voice cracking.

He nodded, “is this real?” He needed to be sure, “you’re really here to watch me graduate?”

She shrugged. “Fury slipped out that you were graduating today...and I—“ she frowned.

“I did it for you.” Peter promised. “I did all my homework and even built a suit...” His voice broke as he tried to contain the rush of emotions he was feeling to overflow his eyes with tears.

Carol rested her hands over her chest and smiled lovingly, “you built a suit?”

“ _The_ suit.” He specified. “I finished my homework, graduated, and built _the_ suit.” He was begging with his tone of voice.

Carol looked away for second to try keep her posture, “is that your girlfriend?” She pointed out at the young blonde girl looking intensely over. It was evident in her voice that the idea of Peter and someone else was painful.

“No.” He assured her firmly, demanding for her not to change the subject. “Why are you here?” He took a step closer.

“You graduated, I couldn’t miss that.”

“Do you still love me?” Peter was done wasting time. He didn’t know anything about her whereabouts for the last two years, but he had spent them trying to find a way to lead her back to him. She was now standing in front of him and that was enough for Peter to put his hand on the table and show her all his cards.

Peter penetrated her soul through her teary hazel eyes.

“You came back and I’m not going to let you walk away from me again.” That was statement, not a promise.

“I might never stop loving you.” She admitted.

Peter smiled faintly. “Why are you here?” He asked again with a soft murmur.

“I needed to see you” she admitted softly, and closed her eyes feeling Peter gently brush his fingers down her arms and pulling her closer to him, “because I missed you...” She sniffed and gently rested her forehead against his.

“I love you...” He promised with a light whisper against her lips before he kissed her gently.

Carol smiled against his lips and kissed him back. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly while his hands pressed the small of her back firmly against his frame.


End file.
